Life Examined KCRW

This week, Casper ter Kuile , co-founder of Nearness , and author of “ The Power of Ritual, ” discusses the value of building community and coming together, and offers some practical advice for forging meaningful connections including the ability to shift away from some of our accustomed patterns of giving advice and instead offer our full attention, loving presence and just listen.

Jonathan Bastian talks with writer, lecturer, and author Susan Cain about the sweet joy of sadness. Cain, author of Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole , reflects on the touch of sweetness that comes from sadness and despair and shares how a greater acceptance of these emotions can be beneficial and even therapeutic. Delve deeper into life, philosophy, and what makes us human by joining the Life Examined discussion group on Facebook .

This week, Ryan Holiday , speaker and author of “ Discipline is Destiny: The Power of Self Control ” shares some advice on the stoic virtue of self discipline. Holiday says that in today’s world of abundance, self discipline and self imposed boundaries are fundamental to meeting our potential, achieving balance and leading a good life.

Psychologist Katherine Morgan Schaflter talks about her book The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control , the universal desire to seek perfection, and the need for greater self-awareness in managing perfectionism.

Pulitzer-prize winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen discusses his memoir “ A Man of Two Faces: A Memoir, A History, A Memorial ” and the challenges and pain he faced growing up a Vietnamese refugee.

This week, Gloria Mark , Professor at the University of California at Irvine and author of the book “Attention Span:A Groundbreaking Way to Restore Balance, Happiness and Productivity,” explains how much harder it has become to resist the urge to be distracted mostly because of the constant access to our our digital devices. Mark says we should be more cognizant of these types of distractions and suggests asking yourself before you next reach for your phone whether doing so will provide any value.